


Leading the blind

by me_again



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Ableism, Ableist Language, Drinking to Cope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-26 06:49:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16676641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/me_again/pseuds/me_again
Summary: Mmm a crack take on Matt being revealed as daredevil. It was going to be longer but I’m second guessing myself on whether the humor is appropriate, so let me know what you think. DareDevilR21 Asked for an unmasking fic and I hadn’t seen this angle before so here goes nothing?





	Leading the blind

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DareDevilR21](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DareDevilR21/gifts).



Matt was, no pun intended, completely blindsided by the press conference. He’d spent the majority of the day with his headphones on, deep in research on a multitude of cases, only surfacing as needed for various minor appearances in court on the same multitude of cases. It was rare to spend the entire day at the courthouse with no actual trials scheduled, but Nelson and Murdock had enough minor motions and pleadings to make it worth the cramp in his back from hunching over his computer on a bench all day. He was aware, distantly, of the crowd forming. People had interviews and announcements on the steps of the courthouse all the time. It was a scenic backdrop for all sorts of nonsense. 

Matt had his attention abruptly disrupted when his own name was announced over the microphone. He was being spoken about in the interview? He slipped off his earphones and was immediately aware of whispers and jittery heartbeats. Daredevil. His name, and Daredevil. Pulse racing, Matt quickly stowed his equipment and headed for the exit. He had to find out what was going on. The crush of voices rose as he walked past. Matt Murdock. The Devil. Vigilante lawyer. Unnerved, Matt ducked into an empty room, locked the door, and took a moment to center himself. Then he listened.

The press announcement was being given by the Public Prosecutor. Daredevil had been identified via cell phone footage from several different crimes. Facial recognition and witness identification was 100%. The face of the man behind the mask belonged to Matt Murdock, a lawyer in Hell’s Kitchen.

 

“You stonewalled like a badass man.” Foggy explained cheerfully as he unboxed dinner. Matt huddled on the couch in stunned silence. “The video’s gone viral. You just strolled through those assholes with a little Buddha smile. Not a word to anyone. Hailed a cab and came home.”

“I don’t remember. “ Matt groaned. One minute he was in the courthouse, and the next he was at home, fresh from the shower and in his favorite Columbia t-shirt and sweats. “Wait. Why am I not in jail?” Matt demanded. “Why are you so calm?” 

“Oh buddy this whole deal requires booze, and we aren’t drinking on an empty stomach.” Matt started to protest but was quickly shut down. “You can’t take Xanax and I can’t drink with you if I do, so we’ll be stupid and get shitfaced instead. Eat your goddamn dinner.” Matt ate his dinner.

Once Foggy felt they were sufficiently prepared, he pulled up the press conference on Matt’s laptop.  
“OK” he announced after a few minutes of fiddlng. “The prosecutor and a bunch of investigators--I don’t even know who these guys are--experts or whatever, are piled up behind the microphones.” Matt listened closely, his gut churning. Foggy refused to let Matt listen to the actual conference, given his reaction earlier today, and with a few shots burning pleasantly in his stomach Matt could admit Foggy’s play-by-play was the way to go.  
“They have a lot of evidence, and they’re being as dramatic as shit pulling it all out as slowly as--you are shit at avoiding cell phones apparently buddy. Shit at it.” There’s a pause while Foggy watches the evidence being presented. “So shitty at -- why do you even take your mask off so much? I mean, what’s the point--”

“I don’t-”  
“They have like six different views of you taking off your mask in alleys. It’s-”  
“What? No I can-”  
“And onto the blood stuff now. Apparently you bleed in every alley too.”  
Matt was starting to sulk a little. “I do not.”  
“Special Prosecutor begs to differ, Matt.” Foggy snarked. “He has this huge pile of crap now. He has each stooge presenting their mockups and shit.” he watched silently for a moment. “I don’t even know if this stuff would be admissible--ok, he’s announcing your name.”  
Matt gulped. This is where he’d spaced out in the courthouse. Foggy reached over and gave him a hug. “You need a break buddy? Doing ok?” Matt leaned into the hug but shook his head. Foggy paused the video and took a deep breath.  
“Ok Matt, so they have DNA, and photos, and all this stuff to prove you are Daredevil.” Foggy took another shot of liquid courage. “If we had to go to trial--I mean, even if we got most of it declared inadmissible--it’s bad, Matt. There’s no question we’d lose.”  
“If?” Matt whispered under his crushing guilt. How had he put Foggy in this position? His friend and business partner was taking the potential destruction of everything they’d worked for, every dream they’d had, remarkably well. “What’s going on? If they have all this evidence--”  
“You’re not going to believe me.” Foggy said flatly. “So listen to me, Ok? Are you listening?”  
Matt nodded.  
“I am going to play the end for you to hear. No interruptions the first time, OK?” Foggy waited until Matt nodded again. “It’s clear enough I know you’ll understand the words, but-but--We’ll go over it again, OK? Just listen the first time all the way through.” Nerves frazzled, Matt nodded one more time, and Foggy started the computer.  
“You are accusing a blind man-” someone shouted.  
“No.” The voice was calm and authoritative. “As I said, the DNA and facial recognition identifies Matt Murdock of Hell’s Kitchen as the vigilante known as Daredevil.” The crowd noise rose up again, and the speaker made no attempt to continue until the tumult receded. “However, Mr. Murdock, a respected lawyer, was blinded as a child and raised by nuns in a Catholic orphanage. He is obviously incapable of the violence and physical dexterity Daredevil is famous for.”  
Matt’s mouth dropped open in shock. Foggy was vibrating in place next to him on the couch.  
“Daredevil is Mr. Murdock’s secret twin, spirited away at birth.”  
“What?” Matt asked weakly. Foggy shushed him.  
The speaker continued, confidence and certitude in every word. “Multiple experts have reviewed the footage and the other evidence, as well as Mr. Murdock’s own records and those of the hospital where he was born. This twin, Michael Murdock-”  
“What?” Matt repeated. Foggy shushed him again.  
“-was taken by their mother to a militant religious sect, and raised as the ultimate warrior. At some point he learned of his helpless brother-”  
“What!” Matt demanded. Foggy hissed at him to be quiet.  
“-became obsessed with his twin. Mr. Matt Murdock, plucky blind Catholic orphan-”  
“PLUCKY?” shouted Matt, standing and shouting at the computer. Foggy gave up and closed it, ending the replay. He watched his friend stomping around and decided to tuck the device away before it became a victim of Matt’s tantrum.  
“What the hell? Foggy?” he finally whimpered, winding down. “Is this a joke? A sick-”  
Foggy was shaking his head. “They all buy it too, buddy. All the reporters. Everyone is on board with the secret cult ninja twin.” They sat in silence for a moment. “I mean, it’s good for us?”  
“But it’s clearly me?” Matt asked in confusion.  
“Oh yeah, no doubt. There’s video, and it’s obvious you aren’t watching anything or seeing at all. But apparently a kick-ass blind man is less believable than this whole-whole-. This.”  
They drank.  
“I mean, I’m angry at these shitty ableist assholes putting you down, but I’m really happy my life isn’t about to go down in flames?” Foggy tried after a while. Matt nodded miserably.  
“I’m happy you’re safe too.” Matt mumbled. “But I AM kick-ass!”  
“You are buddy.” Foggy assured him. “You are an ass kicker. And you are not in jail.”  
“I am not in jail.” Matt pondered the thought and cheered up a little. “I am not in jail!”  
“Ableism saved our asses today my friend. My life is weird.” Foggy melted into the couch. It had been a long day. He gave up on regular booze and pulled a bottle of Josie’s finest eel to the counter.  
“Why are we fighting this Matty?” he whined into his glass. “It’s the gold-the gold-it’s a good thing for us right?”  
“If I was sighted, I’d be disbarred and in jail.” Matt slurred sadly.  
“Yeah. Yes!” Foggy pointed his finger at his friend, weaving only a little. “We are not in jail. This is good. It’s the gold thing!”  
“But Foggy, they-they-”  
“No!” Foggy was certain now. The eel had spoken. “This is the mysterious ways thing Matty. You are-OhMyGodMatt you are Kung FU!”  
“Whaa?”  
“You’re the monk beating evil’s ass one little town at a time Matt!” Foggy was delighted with the good news the Eel had delivered. “You have a destiny!”  
“I’m a monk?” Matt asked, perking up at his friend’s excitement.  
“No, you’re a lawyer beating evil’s ass. Instead of a monk. You’re a, uh--um.”  
They peered sincerely at each other. Foggy reached across the table, and grabbed Matt’s arm.  
“It’s God’s will.” he said seriously. “‘Sonly thing makes sense buddy. You’re supposed to be a daredevil and a lawyer. A punching lawyer.”  
“Devil Lawyer” snickered Matt.  
“You could wear your stupid horns to court and it wouldn’t matter. Well, it would piss off the judge, but - but - God’s will buddy.”  
They toasted God’s will for awhile.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The next morning Matt snuck into the office hours early. He did his best to focus on work, but it was a lost cause. He heard several investigators or reporters-it was hard to tell them apart-setting up shop around the building, and it kept him distracted. He texted Foggy a warning and pre-filled several harassment and cease-and-desist orders for the coming days. When Foggy finally arrived he was with Karen. They were noticed by several of the watchers, but no one actually approached them, which was a pleasant surprise.  
Foggy was dragging, both from his late inebriated night and from the stress of the situation. He set up the coffee pot while mumbling to Karen. She was sparking with nerves, talking fast and clipped. They were going to play it as normal as possible, meeting with clients as planned. Fortunately Matt had done all the court appearances yesterday, so it was a hurdle avoided. Foggy wandered back outside to speak with the loiterers. They needed to understand the perils of interfering with a law office or its clients.

As soon as Foggy stepped outside, Karen was in Matt’s office. Her energy was giving Matt a headache.  
“Wow Matt a twin brother!” she exclaimed. “What a shock!” she was leaning over him, aggressively close.  
“Uh yes, Karen, I--” Matt scrabbled mentally. Her voice and attitude was all wrong.  
“I can’t imagine how it must feel, Matt. How does it feel. Matt?” She was making him lean back in his chair.  
“Karen certainly you don’t believe-”  
“Because I know how I’d feel if someone was hiding a huge secret from me and it blew up in my face, Matt.” she continued, ignoring his attempt to speak. “If someone outright lied to me, MATT. If someone was A VIGILANTE WHILE GIVING SANCTIMONIOUS SPEECHES ABOUT BEING SAFE, MATT.”  
“Uhm” he gulped.  
“So the twin thing is true, Matt. Because otherwise you’ve been lying to me since the night we met. And you wouldn’t do that Matt, would you?”  
“I, uh” he tried.  
“I mean, all those bruises and cuts are from being a clumsy blind man, aren’t they, MATT. Because anything else means you don’t trust me.” She stepped away abruptly and wrapped her arms around herself tightly.  
“Karen, no! I wanted to-” he spoke desperately, reaching out to her, but Karen was not having it.  
“No.” she stopped him with a word. “You-” she broke off and gathered herself.  
“You are the blind catholic orphan who beats the odds to become a lawyer. You have a surprise identical twin brother who is Daredevil, the guy who saved my life. Isn’t that right, Matt?”  
He finally understood. This was his punishment for lying. He nodded miserably.  
“Yeah,” he choked out. “It’s a shock.”  
She nodded and some of her spiky emotions smoothed out.  
“Right. So in my next op-ed,” she pretended not to hear his moan of despair. “In my next op-ed, you are doing your bit to protect others by becoming a lawyer because your sad little blind self couldn’t possibly help others any other way.” She paused to accept his miserable nod of understanding. “I will tie it into Daredevil’s desire to protect and defend you, because deep inside his lying fucked up heart he’s trying to do a good thing. Want to hear your quote?”  
Matt nodded, head still down.  
“Daredevil doesn’t understand he’s hurting me by trying to protect me.”  
Matt accepted the stab of guilt with as much grace as he could muster. This was penance. He tried to dredge up a smile, and failed. “OK.”  
“Also, something about needing your twin to protect you from stairs and doorways.” she added cheerfully as she walked out. Matt groaned and gave up on work altogether.

 

 

 

“


End file.
